Friday, October 7, 2011

Review: Past Perfect

Summary:"All Chelsea wants to do this summer is hang out with her best friend, hone her talents as an ice cream connoisseur, and finally get over Ezra, the boy who broke her heart. But when Chelsea shows up for her summer job at Essex Historical Colonial Village (yes, really), it turns out Ezra’s working there too. Which makes moving on and forgetting Ezra a lot more complicated…even when Chelsea starts falling for someone new.

Maybe Chelsea should have known better than to think that a historical reenactment village could help her escape her past. But with Ezra all too present, and her new crush seeming all too off limits, all Chelsea knows is that she’s got a lot to figure out about love. Because those who don’t learn from the past are doomed to repeat it…"

First Line:"There are only three types of kids who get summer jobs at Colonial Essex Village instead of just working at the mall, like the normal people do."

Thoughts: Cute, cute, cute, Past Perfect is so freaking cute! Oh Miss. Sales, you've done it again, capturing my heart within just a few words and pages. From the very first chapter, I knew I was going to love this book. Call it insta-love or whatever, but it's true.

Chelsea has worked at Essex Historical Colonial Village every summer since she was a kid. That's right folks, she has to dress up in old Colonial clothing, walk around in the heat and answer questions like "Where's the bathroom" and "Don't you get hot wearing those?". Now, normally most of the other kids from school work at the mall over the summer, however, this summer, Chelsea's ex decides to work at Essex. Nice!

So every year, the kids from Essex and the kids from the Civil War Reenactment battle it out in a prank war that doesn't end till the end of summer. This year, Chelsea is chosen as the Lieutenant for Essex, which means she'll be more involved than ever. And it probably doesn't help that Chelsea starts to fall for one of the Civil War boys. Scandal, love, humor and more! Seriously, could you ask for anything else?

First off, I have to tell you how much I love Leila Sales' writing. It just flows so smoothly and is filled with humor, randomness and all around goodness. I love how entertaining it is, even when it's just a scene between two people talking. And is it just me or are all her characters lovable? Even if you want to hate them, you can't. I love that! Each one of them play a role in the story and whether funny or endearing, they're all fantastic.

Now, Past Perfect does not have a lot of romance, but that doesn't draw take away from the story. If anything, it adds a certain sweetness to it. It makes you fall in love with whatever encounters Chelsea has with Dan. Believe me, Dan is easy to fall in love with. He's so adorable, I just want to pinch his little cheeks off!

Overall, if you're looking for a light, fun, charming read, I would highly recommend checking out Past Perfect. It will sweep you off your feet and have you laughing till the very end.

I wish I'd had this book as a teenager, as I struggled with how to move on after various disappointments; it might have served as a kind of guidebook.(It also might have inspired me to get a job at a living history museum! What fun!) Regrettably, I can't go back in time and recreate certain life choices, but at least I can read (and reread) PAST PERFECT.